Loving Janis Performed by Kyra Gordon & Mimi Fox

“Loving Janis” is a narrative concert that combines the music of American folk and rock icons Janis Joplin & Janis Ian, with an engaging script of stories about both performers' lives. With the charismatic power and vocal pyrotechnics of Kyra Gordon, highly creative arrangements, and the virtuosic guitar playing of internationally recognized recording artist Mimi Fox, this show is a delight to the musical senses.

Serving as the singer and the storyteller, Gordon takes the audience through the fascinating careers of both these amazing artists, and discusses them through the lens of how they inspired and shaped her own unconventional creative path. Loving Janis features very well known songs creatively reinterpreted, such as “Piece of my Heart”, “Bobby McGee”, and “At Seventeen”, as well as lesser known cuts by both Joplin and Ian like “Move Over” and “New York in the Springtime”.

This current version of “Loving Janis” re-imagined is the culmination of a collaboration, mentorship and chemistry that developed between Kyra and Mimi. Kyra contacted Mimi in 2020 to request she perform as the guitarist for the show @ Feinstein's. Mimi stated “I appreciate great singers. My mother was a jazz singer and Kyra has a great voice!” Mimi knew that Kyra was “really into the music” and determined she wanted to join forces with her.

Both Kyra and Mimi grew up listening to both Janis Joplin & Janis Ian. Mimi stated that their duo approach to honoring the Janis's would create an “intimacy and vulnerability where magic will happen.” Kyra and Mimi both hope the “challenge of refining the music to its core will polish it to a fine sheen”. Thus the audience will gain a new excitement and appreciation of both Janis Joplin & Janis Ian's talents!

Host or Publisher Firehouse Arts Center